Review
Cell Biology
Emmanuel Martin, Magali Suzanne
Summary: This review discusses the role of the actin nucleation complex Arp2/3 in epithelial tissue, including its influence on cell-cell cooperation and tissue morphogenesis. It plays a significant role in regulating cell-cell adhesion, intracellular trafficking, and protrusion formation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Batiste Boeda, Vincent Michel, Raphael Etournay, Patrick England, Stephane Rigaud, Heloise Mary, Samy Gobaa, Sandrine Etienne-Manneville
Summary: Using an organ-on-chip model, this study elucidates the role of SCRIB in controlling cell and tissue shape during gut epithelium differentiation. The results show that SCRIB acts as a scaffold for SHROOM2/4 and ROCK1, controlling myosin polarization and playing a critical role in apical cell shape and epithelial morphogenesis.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sergio Simoes, Gerald Lerchbaumer, Milena Pellikka, Paraskevi Giannatou, Thomas Lam, Dohyun Kim, Jessica Yu, David ter Stal, Kenana Al Kakouni, Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez, Ulrich Tepass
Summary: Most forms of cancer involve the movement of cells out of an epithelial layer, a process that requires the loss of apical polarity. This study reveals the regulatory role of key polarity proteins in this loss of polarity. The dynamic regulation of the apical Crumbs polarity complex is crucial for normal neural stem cell ingression.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Filipa Sobral, Fung-Yi Chan, Michael J. Norman, Daniel S. Osorio, Ana Beatriz Dias, Vanessa Ferreira, Daniel J. Barbosa, Dhanya Cheerambathur, Reto Gassmann, Julio Monti Belmonte, Ana Xavier Carvalho
Summary: The study demonstrates a synergy between the small rigid crosslinker plastin and the large flexible crosslinker spectrin in the C. elegans embryo, showing that their combined action stabilizes the actomyosin network in cytokinesis. Co-inhibition of plastin and beta H-spectrin results in cytokinesis failure, highlighting the importance of crosslinker interplay for network integrity.
Article
Cell Biology
Luis Daniel Rios-Barrera, Maria Leptin
Summary: Membrane trafficking plays a crucial role in morphogenesis. This study reveals a new role for late endosomes in directing morphogenesis by organizing actin.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kinga Duszyc, Guillermo A. Gomez, Anne K. Lagendijk, Mei-Kwan Yau, Bageshri Naimish Nanavati, Briony L. Gliddon, Thomas E. Hall, Suzie Verma, Benjamin M. Hogan, Stuart M. Pitson, David P. Fairlie, Robert G. Parton, Alpha S. Yap
Summary: Extrusion is the primary response to apoptosis in epithelial cells, involving E-cadherin and RhoA signaling pathways. Mechanical tension-sensitive mechanotransduction activates RhoA specifically in neighboring cells of apoptotic cells, with S1P also playing a crucial role in the process.
Article
Cell Biology
Riasat Zaman, Andrew Lombardo, Cecile Sauvanet, Raghuvir Viswanatha, Valerie Awad, Locke Ezra-Ros Bonomo, David McDermitt, Anthony Bretscher
Summary: The study reveals that LOK/SLK play a central role in activating ERMs, and their knockout results in significant changes in apical structures. Active ERMs act as negative regulators of RhoA-GTP, forming a novel local feedback loop.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Maria Ntefidou, D. Magnus Eklund, Aude Le Bail, Sylwia Schulmeister, Franziska Scherbel, Lisa Brandl, Wolfgang Doerfler, Chantal Eichstaedt, Anna Bannmueller, Karin Ljung, Benedikt Kost
Summary: The RHO guanosine triphosphatases (ROP) family in plants play a crucial role in regulating cell differentiation and behavior. In the study, it is found that PpRIC protein in Physcomitrium patens interacts with active PpROP1 and accumulates in the nucleus, mediating the crosstalk between ROP and auxin signaling pathways, contributing to the maintenance of apical initial cell identity.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Enrico Warmt, Steffen Grosser, Eliane Blauth, Xiaofan Xie, Hans Kubitschke, Roland Stange, Frank Sauer, Jorg Schnauss, Janina M. Tomm, Martin von Bergen, Josef A. Kas
Summary: Cell contractility can be divided into two types, based on actin stress fibers and isotropic contractions within the actomyosin cortex. Epithelial cells exhibit higher cortical tension compared to mesenchymal cells, which allows for differentiation between the two cell types based on contractility mechanisms.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sophie S. Katz, Trevor J. Barker, Hannah M. Maul-Newby, Alessandro P. Sparacio, Ken C. Q. Nguyen, Chloe L. Maybrun, Alexandra Belfi, Jennifer D. Cohen, David H. Hall, Meera V. Sundaram, Alison R. Frand
Summary: In this study, the mechanisms involved in shaping acellular longitudinal ridges in the cuticle of adult C. elegans were investigated. The results revealed a collaboration between actin cytoskeleton and provisional matrix in sculpting these ridges, with actin patterning the provisional matrix into distinct zones of separation and adhesion that ultimately form the structure of the ridges and valleys.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kamran Hosseini, Palina Trus, Annika Frenzel, Carsten Werner, Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
Summary: The study reveals that EMT can change the mechanical properties of skin epithelial cells in a cell-cycle dependent manner. Additionally, EMT can boost cellular proliferation and result in changes in the actin cortex. These changes are primarily dependent on the transcription factor snail, which is upregulated during EMT.
Article
Cell Biology
Rongze Ma, Difei Gong, Huanyang You, Chongshen Xu, Yunzhe Lu, Gabriele Bergers, Zena Werb, Ophir D. Klein, Claudia K. Petritsch, Pengfei Liu
Summary: The modulation of Integrin 01 signaling by Lgl1 is essential for directional migration, and epithelial branching in the mammary gland differs fundamentally from invertebrates.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Etienne Moisdon, Pierre Seez, Francois Molino, Philippe Marcq, Cyprien Gay
Summary: This study establishes a mapping that relates cortical rheology to tissue rheology, revealing the proportional relationship between tissue low-frequency elastic modulus and the rest tension of the cortex. It predicts the mapping between fractional viscocontractile cortex rheology and high-frequency fractional visco-elastic monolayer rheology, and also identifies the unsuitability of 2D hexagonal tiling models for realistic monolayer rheologies.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dongliang Zhang, Lan Jiang, Mengling Wang, Meiping Jin, Xuemei Zhang, Difa Liu, Zhangwei Wang, Licai Yang, Xudong Xu
Summary: This study demonstrates that berberine can ameliorate intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in the colon caused by long-term peritoneal dialysis fluid through promoting cell migration.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreas Janshoff
Summary: Epithelial cells form tight barriers on the outer and inner surfaces of organs and cavities, facing diverse environmental challenges that rely on their dynamic viscoelastic properties. Studying mechanical properties through atomic force microscopy and viscoelastic models can provide insights into cell responses to external forces. The cortex plays a significant role in the response of cells to external forces, as discussed in recent deformation studies.
BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Silvia Campanario, Ignacio Ramirez-Pardo, Xiaotong Hong, Joan Isern, Pura Munoz-Canoves
Summary: Adult skeletal muscle tissue has the ability to regenerate through the autophagic function of satellite cells. Aging is associated with a decline in autophagic capacity in satellite cells, impacting tissue regeneration. Two strategies can be used to assess autophagic activity in satellite cells.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaona Chen, Jie Yuan, Guang Xue, Silvia Campanario, Di Wang, Wen Wang, Xi Mou, Shiau Wei Liew, Mubarak Ishaq Umar, Joan Isern, Yu Zhao, Liangqiang He, Yuying Li, Christopher J. Mann, Xiaohua Yu, Lei Wang, Eusebio Perdiguero, Wei Chen, Yuanchao Xue, Yoshikuni Nagamine, Chun Kit Kwok, Hao Sun, Pura Munoz-Canoves, Huating Wang
Summary: DHX36 helicase is essential for muscle regeneration by promoting mRNA translation through binding and unwinding rG4 structures during SC activation, thus acting as a crucial post-transcriptional regulator of SC function.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Laura Lopez-Sanz, Susana Bernal, Luna Jimenez-Castilla, Ignacio Prieto, Sara La Manna, Sergio Gomez-Lopez, Luis Miguel Blanco-Colio, Jesus Egido, Jose Luis Martin-Ventura, Carmen Gomez-Guerrero
Summary: Research has shown that overexpression of FcγR has been detected in abdominal aortic aneurysm lesions, and inhibiting FcγR signaling molecules can reduce AAA development, restore inflammatory responses and vascular wall injury, potentially serving as therapeutic targets for AAA disease.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Adam C. Wilkinson, Alejo Rodriguez-Fraticelli, Matthew Porteus, Myriam L. R. Haltalli
Summary: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a curative therapy for hematological diseases by replacing a patient's dysfunctional blood system with healthy stem cells. Challenges remain in efficiently genetically correcting HSCs and increasing donor HSC numbers for wider and safer use. Recent advancements in technologies like Cas9-AAV6 and UM171 have accelerated progress in HSC gene editing and expansion.
EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Andres De la Rocha-Munoz, Enrique Nunez, Anjali Amrapali Vishwanath, Sergio Gomez-Lopez, Dhanasak Dhanasobhon, Nelson Rebola, Beatriz Lopez-Corcuera, Jaime De Juan-Sanz, Carmen Aragon
Summary: The Hedgehog pathway was identified as a robust controller of GlyT2 expression and transport activity, affecting presynaptic glycine availability. Modulating the activation state of the Hedgehog pathway can influence the levels of GlyT2 expression and transport capability.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Dexu Kong, Lihui Peng, Minerva Bosch-Fortea, Alexandra Chrysanthou, Cardee V. J-M. Alexis, Carlos Matellan, Ali Zarbakhsh, Giulia Mastroianni, Armando del Rio Hernandez, Julien E. Gautrot
Summary: Although liquid substrates are not typically believed to support cell adhesion and expansion, recent studies have shown that they can do so by assembling protein nanosheets at liquid-liquid interfaces. However, the mechanical properties required for such quasi-2D nanoassemblies and their correlation with molecular structure and nanoscale architecture are still unclear. In this study, we screened various surfactants, proteins, oils, and cell types, and correlated the interfacial mechanical properties with stem cell expansion. The results suggest that interfacial viscoelasticity has an impact on regulating cell behavior. By using interfacial rheology and magnetic tweezer-based interfacial microrheology, we characterized the viscoelastic profile of protein nanosheets assembled at liquid-liquid interfaces. Based on neutron reflectometry and transmission electron microscopy data, we propose that the amorphous nanoarchitecture of quasi-2D protein nanosheets controls their multi-scale viscoelasticity, which correlates with cell expansion. This understanding provides insights for the rational design of protein nanosheets for stem cell manufacturing and screening platforms based on microdroplets and bioemulsions.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Alejandra R. Manzano, Fernando Martin-Belmonte
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Tatiana Alfonso-Perez, Gabriel Baonza, Gonzalo Herranz, Fernando Martin-Belmonte
Summary: The complexity of metazoans arises from the interplay between epithelial polarity and autophagy in various processes, especially in the formation of lumens. Autophagy plays crucial roles in recognizing external clues, establishing and maintaining apicobasal polarity, endo-lysosomal trafficking, and expanding the created lumen.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Johannes Nass, Sophia N. Koerdt, Anja Biesemann, Tarek Chehab, Takao Yasuda, Mitsunori Fukuda, Fernando Martin-Belmonte, Volker Gerke
Summary: Weibel-Palade bodies (WPB) are secretory organelles unique to endothelial cells that store VWF and undergo regulated exocytosis. This study shows that WPB preferentially fuse with the plasma membrane at their tips and identifies Slp2-a as a positive regulator of VWF secretion, possibly mediating this topological selectivity.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Developmental Biology
Alejo Rodriguez-Fraticelli, Samantha A. Morris
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gonzalo Herranz, Fernando Martin-Belmonte
Summary: This study reveals the association between the formation of a centralised apical membrane initiation site and cadherin-mediated cell adhesion during epithelial cell polarisation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina Cacheiro-Llaguno, Elena Hernandez-Subira, Manuel D. Diaz-Munoz, Manuel Fresno, Juan M. Serrador, Miguel A. Iniguez
Summary: This research investigates the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on COX-2 transcriptional induction during T cell activation, revealing the immunomodulatory properties of glucocorticoids in human T cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Angel Bago, M. Laura Cayuela, Alba Gil, Enrique Calvo, Jesus Vazquez, Antonio Queiro, Francisco J. Schopfer, Rafael Radi, Juan M. Serrador, Miguel A. Iniguez
Summary: Nitro-fatty acids (NO2-FAs) inhibit pro-inflammatory T cell functions by decreasing cell proliferation, expression of activation markers, and cytokine gene expressions. These effects are mediated through the inhibition of transcriptional activity of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) via regulation of the phosphatase activity of calcineurin (CaN). Furthermore, NO2-FAs nitroalkylate CaNA, disrupting functional CaNA/CaNB heterodimer formation and further inhibiting CaN phosphatase activity. These findings suggest that NO2-FAs may have therapeutic potential for modulating harmful T cell-mediated immune responses.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)